A senior pastor at celebrity-loved mega-church Hillsong has been sensationally sacked over alleged ‘breaches of trust’ and ‘moral failures’ – six years after he baptized close friend Justin Bieber.
Carl Lentz, 41, who co-founded the New York City branch of the Australian church back in 2010, was fired by the organization’s leader Brian Houston, Hillsong confirmed in a statement that was emailed out to congregation members and then issued publicly on Wednesday. ‘This action has been taken following ongoing discussions in relation to leadership issues and breaches of trust, plus a recent revelation of moral failures,’ Mr Houston revealed, however he claimed that it would ‘not be appropriate’ to share more details of Lentz’s alleged offences. Mr Houston added that this course of action was ‘not taken lightly and was done in the interest of everyone, including pastor Carl. In his letter sent to Hillsong East Coast members, which was obtained by Instagram account Deux Moi, Houston admitted that people may still have questions, and urged them to email the mega-church’s leadership team with any queries.
‘But as sudden as this feels to us, we must remember that it’s not a shock to God, who birthed Hillsong NYC and already has planned for this time,’ he continued, before revealing that the church has not yet found a replacement for the fired pastor. Lentz, who was born in Virginia Beach, first began working with Hillsong in Australia after relocating there from Los Angeles, where he spent time studying at The King’s College and Seminary. The father-of-three rose quickly within Hillsong’s ranks and formed a close friendship with Houston and his son Joel while training at the church’s International Leadership College in Sydney, where he met his wife, Laura. In 2010, he moved back to the US in order to co-found the New York City chapter of Hillsong, which soon amassed a major celebrity following, with Lentz preaching to the likes of Bieber, Selena Gomez, Hailey Bieber, and several NBA stars including Carmelo Anthony, David Lee, Kevin Durant, and Jeremy Lin. However it was Lentz’s close relationship with Bieber, now 26, that gained him the most notoriety, particularly after it was revealed that the popstar had been baptized by the pastor in 2014, and even moved in with Lentz and his wife for six weeks in the same year. Speaking to the GQ in 2015, Lentz – who first met the popstar in 2008, when the singer was just 14 – recalled the moment Bieber got down on his knees, ‘ravaged by loss’ and sobbed, telling the pastor: ‘I want to know Jesus’. According to the magazine account, the baptism finished with Bieber ‘wet and sobbing against Pastor Carl’s chest… born anew’. It played a central role in transforming Bieber’s image from a partying ladies’ man to a clean-cut Christian devotee. His wife, Hailey Bieber, is also a believer, and the two are frequently spotted in church together. In 2017, it was reported by People that Lentz had been enlisted by Bieber and his ex-girlfriend Gomez to offer spiritual guidance and counselling about their relationship after they briefly rekindled their romance.
Lentz’s celebrity connections and close friendship with Bieber have helped him to become something of a star in his own right, skyrocketing him to prominence on Instagram, where he boasts more than 679,000 followers.
About The Author
